Refrigerating system or apparatus



2 y W.'A. M NUTT REFRIGERATING SYS TEM OR APPARATUS Filed Dec. 12, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet..-. 1

g1 15: are 7&2'07' ii/4.24 if Feb. 2 1 26. 1,571,633

W. A. MONUTT REFRIGERATING SYSTEM OR APPARATUS Filed Dec. 12, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig.2.

5/ Gal/000000 "Feb z 1926.

W. A. M NUTT REFRIGERATING SYSTEM OR APPARATUS.

Filed Dec 12, 1923 5 Sheets-$1661 [nu-e71 fol M .j)! /1 1055 Feb. "22,1 926. I 1,571,633

I w. A. McNUTT REFR'IGERATING SYSTEM OR APPARATUS Filed Dec. 12, 192: s sng-efi-Shet 5 Fl zre 1a 07' 1 1a A m n 2a Patented Feb. 2, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ALEXANDER McNUTT, OF STAMFORD, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE KITSON' ,ENGINEERING COMPANY (LONDON) LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER, LONDoN IENG- LAN 13.1

REFRIGERATING- SYSTEM OR APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ALEXANDER MoNU'rr, Stamford, Lincolnshire, England, a subject of the King of Great Britain, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements Relating to Refrigerating Systems or Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to refrigerating machinesor apparatus employing a condensible fluid such as ethyl chloride as the refrigerating agent, and in which the compressor and the condenser are housed within a single casing, and particularly to the type of machines constructed with the body of the housing divided into two chambers, one for the condenser, and the other arranged to form a reservoir for a sealing liquid such as glycerine and to contain a rotarycompressor and the compressor shaft, said glycerine acting as a seal for the housing and as alubricant for the compressor shaft. In these machines it is found that the refrigerant whilst passing to the condenser in the gaseous state mixes with the glycerine with the result that glycerine is conveyed to the condenser and, after condensation of the gas, great difficulty is experienced in effecting a complete separation of the two liquids.

According to this invention, refrigerating machines or apparatus of the type aforesaid are so constructed that the refrigerant, as it passes from the compressor in a gaseous state, is conveyed to the condenser without admixture with the sealing liquid.

The compressor and the condenser for the machine or apparatus are housed in a single casing which is sealed by a liquid surrounding the shaft for'driving the compressor, said shaft being located in the lower portion of the casing and connected with the compressor, which is located in the upper part ofthe casing, through chain and sprocketor equivalent gearlng. Hereinafter the refrigerant will be referred to as ethyl chloride. 1

Where the condenser and compressor are contained in a single casing as aforesaid, communication is preferably established between the upper portion of the compression chamber and the condenser chamber, by

- Fig.

means of a pipe opening into the compression chamber at or near the top thereof, and a baffle is associated with said pipe to prevent the sealing liquid being conveyed to the condenser chamber with the refrigerant (hereinafter referred to as ethyl chloride). The condenser preferably comprises two intercommunicating coils in the condenser chamber and a third coil in the sealing ing a non-return valve adapted to be opened by a projection or spout-on the refilling vessel.

The apparatus may be equipped with magnetic liquid level indicators as hereinafter more fully described.

V In order that the invention-may be clearly I understood, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which show, by-way of example, one construction of refrigerating machine in accordance with the invention.

Fig.1 is a sectional elevation of the left hand portion of the machine taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 1 is a continuation of Fig. 1 to the right.

Fig. 2is a plan.

I Fig." 3 is a sectional end elevation taken in a plane represented by the line 33 of Fig. 4 is a sectional end elevation taken in a plane represented by the'line 4-4 of Fig. 1'.

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view showing the packing gland for the bearing of the compressor driving shaft.

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view of a preferred form of indicator used for indicating the level of the liquid ethyl chloride.

On the drawings, 2 represents the machine casing, built up in two sections 3 and 4 secured together by bolts 5 (see Fig. 2).

The upper section 3 forms acompression chamber 5 and contains a compressor 10, while the lower section ii is sub-divided to provide two chambers 6 and 8 the former 9 of a pipe 26 secured in a passage24 inthe 40 liquid reservoir 6, and mounted at one end 34 in a ball bearing 34*, supported in a bearing box 35 formed lower section 4 of the casing, the other endconstituting a reservoir forliquid (such as glycerine) the chamber 8 contains the con- -denser coils 9.

" {Letters Patent o. 193,739 of 1922-1118 axle 14 of the compressor is supported in ball bearings 14, mountedin brackets- 18, 19 secured to the top of the lower section 4 of the casing by bolts 01?".sti1ds'1'5. Said the boreis in communication with a axle has an axial bore portion 20 and rad ial apertures 21 establishing communication between said bore and the, interior of the rotor 22 of the'compressor. The end 23 of passage 24 in a bearing box 25 on the casing 2,

' which passage communicates in turn with the refrigerator coils (not shown) by means bearing box 25 leading from the passage 24.

. In order to prevent the escape of ethyl chloride-gas'from the compression chamber 5 a special packing gland is provided comprising a collar 27 (Fig. 1) rigidly secured on the axle 14, and forming an abutment for a loose collar 28 which carries a diaphragm '29 of copper or other suitable material, the

.6 peripheral edge of which is nipped between a shoulder 30 in the passage 24 and a retaining ring 31 the latter being pressed in position by a retaining nut 31 screwed into the bearing box 25. A spring 32 located between the retaining nut and the collar 28 holds the latter resiliently against the rigid collar 27.

, Instead of, the compressor axle 14 being directly coupled with the compressor driving means, it is arranged to be driven by a shaft. 33 (Fig. 1) i-accommodated in the integral with the v36 of. the, shaft being mounted in a ball bearing 36, carried by an extension 18 of the supporting bracket 18'. A chain 37 and sprocket wheels 37,38 operatively conmet the compressor axle 14 and the main driving shaft 33. The wheel 38 is mounted. in a ball bearing" 39 carried between an extension- 40 .of the compressor cylinder 41.

-and a v as guide plate axle 1,4, I

The level A (Fig. 1) of the glycerine in "42 mounted on the thechamber 6. is kept above the mam joints B of the two sections 3, 4 forming the-machine housing or casing, and it will therefore-be obvious that the. joints between the twosections are onlyrequired to retain the liquid glycerine, ride in the chamber 5 will not pass below the levelof the glycerine and become admixed with it. i

To prevent the escape of glyeerine from as the gaseous ethyl chlothe chamber 6 a packing. gland is arranged in.the'bearing box35, in a manner similar to that described with reference to the packing gland for the compressor axle. In this gland, however, the collar or nut 43 (Fig. 1 is welded -on the driving shaft 33 and forms an abutment foran adjustable collar 44 to which issecured a membrane 44' of copper or other suitable materiahwhose peripheral edge is nipped between a shoulder 45 in the bearing b02235 and a retaining ring 46, pressed into engagement with the membrane by bearing box. A spring 48 inserted between the nut' and the collar 44 presses the'latter resiliently into-contact with the a retaining nut 48 screwed into the fixed collar 43 to effect a face joint therefrom creeping between the shaft and the bore of the collar 43 as the latter is fluidtight on the shaft and it is prevented from.

passing the disc 44 as the latter is cast in the adjusting collar 44 which is also joint tight. Furthermore, any leakage of liquid between the adjacent faces of the collars 43, 44 is opposed by centrifugal action set up by the revolving collar 43.-

The glycerine chamber 6v is provided with openings 45, 46, (Fig. 1) which communicate with the interior of. the compression chamber 5, and it is provided with a reduced portion 4 through which the shaft 33 passes.

A cover plate 51 (Figs. 1 and 4) secured to the top of the lower section 4 of the casing by bolts or studs 51, for closing the upper end 7 of the compressor chamber 8, being provided with an open ing 52 in communication withthe condenser chamber by means of a pipe 53 extending vertically in the compression chamber 5. A bafile plate 54, Fig. 4' depending fromthe top of the upper section 3 is located between the rotary compressor 10 and the pipe 53 in order to prevent glycerine thrown up by the action of the compressorfrom passing into the said pipe. Any glycerine which strikes the'plate will, fle plate and will flow or glycerine chamber. I

As already stated, the chamber 8 contains Fig.- 4 is provided With this arrangement glycerine be caught by the bafback into the reservoir wardly, one at each side of the portion..4

and are connected together over a bridge piece 4 of said-portion. They are also connected to coils 48 in the glycerine chamber 6 by a branch pipe 49. cooling medium is admitted to the condenser coils 9 through an inlet pipe 50, Fig.- 2; after circulation through said coils and the glycerine cooling coils 48, it passes out by means of a pipe (not shown) connected to the latter.

Water or other In operation the driving shaft'33 is com ne t d p to an ele tric motor, or a gas or' through the chain gearing to the compressor axle. Under the action of the compressor,

etliyl chloride gas, is drawn from the refrigcrating coils .(not shown) through the pipe 26 into the hollow portion of the axle 14, and through the apertures 21 into the interior of the rotor 22, passing then by way of the openings 22 in the rotor (Fim l) to the compressor cylinder 41 in which it' is compressed. The compressed gas passes into the compressor chamber 5 by way of openings 41 in the cylinder and then passes down the pipe 53 into the condenser chamher where itis condensed into liquidethyl passage 51 normally closed by a spring pressed ball 58 located between a plug 55 chloride bycontact with the condenser coils. From the condenser chamber the liquid ethyl chloride passes to the refrigerating coils where it is expanded again and absorbs heat in known manner.

Means are also provided on the compres,

sion-side of the machine, wherebylossof gas and the drawing 'in of air is prevented during re-charging with either liquid ethyl chloride orglycerine. Said means comprise a hollow plug extending into the pipe 53 and provided with a screwed body ortion 56 adapted to be screw fitted into the topof the upper section. 3; said plug has a and valve seat 59 in the hollow plug. The valve is opened by forcing the ball valve from the valve seat by means of an extension forming a spout on the'refilling vessel. A similar device may be provided for replenishing the glycerine supply. s

For regulating the pressure of gas in the compression chamber a safety valve 60 is provided comprising-a hollow plug61, having a body portion 62 screw fitted and extending into the compression chamber 5. The valve passageis normally closed by a ball or equivalent 63, pressed onto a valveseating 63 by a spring 64. The safety valve threaded boss'69 (Fig; 1)'of the casing, one

' a needle 70, pivoted at 71.

is connected to the compression suction pipe or conduit 26 (Fig. 2 )for normaliconditions by a'pi e .65. A pressure'gauge 66 is also provide at the top of the compression chamber 5. l V

To indicate the level of the glycerine. and ethyl chloride in the respective compartments or chambers, indicator deviccsare provided each comprising a plug 67 (Fig. 6) having a screw threaded body portion 68, screw .fitted into an internally screw end 67 ofthe ,plumheing recessedto receive This needle is controlled bya magnet 72 attachedtoa lever 74 on which a cork 75 is carried and which floats on the surface of the -glycerine or the ethyl chloride as the case may be. The action of the device is such, that as the levels of the glycerine and ethyl chloride rise andfall in the chambers 6, 8, the magnet's will be .turned and the needles will-folper reservoir for a sealing liquid, and a lower chamber sealed against the reservoir and adapted to contain acondenser, the sealing liquid in the reservoir being adapted. to seal the juncture between the two parts of the casing, a compressor arranged in the upper part of the casing, an operatin 'shaftfor the compressor working in said reser- -voir, and means to convey .the refrigerant .m a gaseous state from the compressor to the condenser without permitting it to mix with the sealing liquid. a

2. For. a refrigerating apparatus employ- 'ingna eondensible fluid as a referigerant. and havingin combination a rotary compressor'housed inan upper portion and a condenser housed in a lower portion of a single casing, a c'ompressordriving shaft passing through said casing, a sealing liquid to surround the said shaft and seal the casing, a' pipe to convey the refrigerant in a gaseous state from the compressor to the condenser without admixture with the sealingliquid, to said pipe opening into the compression chamber near the top thereof, and a bafiie plate associated with said pipe to prevent the sealing liquid being conveyed to the condenser chamber with the refrigerant.

ing acondensible fluid as a refrigerant and having in-combination a rotary compressor housed in an upper portion and a-condenser -housed in a lower portion of a single casing, a compressor driving I shaft passing through said casing, a sealing liquidto curround the said shaft and seal the casing, and apipe to convey the refrigerant in a gaseous state from the compressor to the condenser without admixture with the sealing liquid, and removable charging plugs provided in the top of the casing for replenishing the supply of sealing liquid and refrigerant, said plugs being each provided with a nonreturn valve adapted to be opened by a projection on the re-fillin-g vessel.

4. For a refrigerating apparatus employing a condensible fluid as a refrigerant and without admixture with the sealing liquid, casing for replenishing the supply of sealthe said pipe opening into the compression ing liquid and refrigerant, said'plugs being chamber near the top, thereof a baflle plate each provided with a non-retnrn valve associated with said pipe to prevent the sealadapted to be opened bya pro ect1on on ing liquid being conveyed to the condenser the Ie-fiIhIIg vessel.

chamber with the refrigerant and removable I 1 es -11110115 wh re faffiX my igna ure charging plugs provided in the top of the WILLIAM ALEXANDER MoNUTT. 

